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One of the Oldest and Most Historic 
Churches in the Old Dominion State 



B Y 
Winifred Sackvillh-Stoner. 



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One 



THE LlBRARV OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies Rvcoivco 

JUN i 1903 
I cuss.; a_ xxc. No 



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Copyright IQOS 

by 

IV i n ifred- Sack villc Stoner 



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7' A r e e 



A Leaf of Ivy from 

THE Old Church Wall. 



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Y far the most interesting spot in all the City of Norfolk^ 
t[1 Va. , and its vicinity is St. Paul's Episcopal Church and the 
picturesque burying ground surrounding it. All strangers 
who come to Norfolk make it a point to visit this church 
and to wander through the graveyard and read on its 
ancient monuments the many quaint and curious epitaphs to those 
who lived when the "American Eagle" had never attempted con- 
quests of foreign lands, having trouble enough to watch over its young 
brood at home. 

The church now standing was built in 1739, but this structure 
only replaced a more antiquated one, of which there is no authentic 
record as to the exact date of its construction, though it is supposed 
to have been built in 16S6. There is some historical data to the 
effect that Lord Francis Howard gave one hundred acres of land in 
that 5-ear as a glelic to support the minister and church, and, there- 



F i V e 



fore, it is reasonable to presume that St. Paul's (formerly known as 
the Borough Church) was erected at that date, particularly as men- 
tion is made in i 700 of Samuel Boush presenting a chalice to said 
church. 

Fifty-three years later Colonel S. Boush gave to this parish 
enough bricks, imported from England, to build a new church and the 
old bricks were utilized in the construction of a schoolhouse. 

Looking at this picturesque ivy -crowned church, with the spar- 
rows chirping in their many nests under its eaves, or dipping their 
wings in the cool waters of the ever playing fountain in the peaceful 
graveyard, one can scarcely realize the necessity for such an order as 
was given to all male members of this congregation in 1741, when 
every man was compelled to go heavily armed while attending services, 
under penalty of paying five shillings fine. 

This was during the troublesome times when England was at 



Six 



war with Spain, and little more than a quarter of a century passed 
before the colonists rebelled against their mother country and the 
same church served as a sanctuary for women and children, who 
sought refuge here while Lord Dunmore's fleet was storming Norfolk. 

After the colonists had gained a glorious victory at Great 
Bridge the British troops retreated to Norfolk and were quartered on 
their vessels lying in the harbor. These boats were greatly crowded 
and the King's troops, besides suffering from an epidemic of smallpox, 
had few provisions and were prohibited from replenishing their almost 
empty larder by the ever-watchful Americans, whose sharpshooters 
were constantly on the qui vive to dispatch any Red Coat who might 
show himself on deck. 

The English commander. Lord Dunmore, having become 
exasperated by these desperate conditions, ordered hiii fleet to bom- 
bard the town on New Year's Day, 1776. The firing began at three 



S e V i .'! 



in the afternoon and kept up until two on the following morning, and, 
to further complete the destruction of the town, a number of British 
sailors went ashore and set fire to the warehouses along the wharves, 
while many Virginians burned their own homes rather than to have 
them occupied by the enemy. Consequently Norfolk, which at that 
time had a population of 6,000 and was one of the fairest cities in 
all the colonies, was reduced to a heap of ashes. 

Although Lord Dunmore had repeatedly threatened to destroy 
Norfolk, the bombardment proved a great surprise and horror to the 
majority of the citizens, since onl}^ a few timid persons had given 
heed to the warning by removing their families and household goods 
to places of safety. 

It being New Year's Day, many of the colonists were trying to 
forget the deprivations and sorrows of war while spending the holiday 
in true colonial style, calling on their neighbors and drinking their 
healths in great goblets of foaming egg-nog. 



Eight 



A number of gay young revolutionists were enjoying a game of 
billiards in a saloon when the first shot fired from "The Liverpool" 
came crashing into the room where they were at play. After that 
the shots came fast and furious and the terror-stricken people fled for 
safety to the old Borough Church. There the women and children 
crowded together within its sheltering walls and shivered with fear as 
they heard the deep booming of the cannon, the shrieks of terror in the 
streets and the crash of falling houses, while the windows of the 
church were lighted by the lurid flames from manv burning buildings. 

As they huddled together like so many frightened sheep, a 
cannon ball struck the corner of the eastern gable of the church, im- 
bedding itself in the wall, but doing no further damage. Afterwards 
this ball fell to the ground, where it lay neglected for many years, 
but was finally restored to its old position and is now an object of 
curiosity to all strangers. 



N i n t 



In the early part of the nineteenth century when England and 
America were at peace a war of words broke out among the dif- 
ferent members of the Borough Church and as a result of this con- 
troversy two vestries and two ministers were elected, one rector con- 
ducting the morning services and the other the evening. 

In 1800 Christ Church was built and the old church deserted 
by the Episcopalians and loaned first to the white Baptist congrega- 
tion and afterwards to the colored. Thirty -two years later the 
church was repaired by the children of the former " controversionists " 
and solemnly consecrated as St. Paul's Episcopal Church on May 
1 8th, 1832. This church was built in the form of a cross, but some 
years ago a tower was erected which destroyed the symmetry of the 
original building. Subsequently this was removed, a handsome 
robing room taking its place, and in 1900 a new tower was built at 
the opposite end of the church. 



7' < >i 



Among the objects of interest to be seen in this old historic 
structure is the chair in which John Hancock, President of the Con- 
tinental Congress sat when the Declaration of Independence was 
declared. This chair was purchased by General Bayley (a Virginian 
member of Congress) when the furniture of Independence Hall was 
sold, and afterwards presented by him to St. Paul's Church. 

At the time of the bombardment of Norfolk, the valuable 
communion plate of this sacred edifice was carried to Scotland, but 
"The Okeson Parish Aid Society" has been successful in procuring 
a similar service of equal intrinsic value. 

The collection plates are made of olive wood from the Holy 
Land, and presented by Baroness Zallikaffer, formerly Miss Ludlow 
of Norfolk. 

The two beautiful memorial windows (made in England) are 
in loving remembrance of Rev. Dr. Jackson, who gave up his life 



Eleven 



while attending the sufferers in the jcllow (ever scourge in 1853, and 
Rev. Dr. Nicholas Okeson, who, for over a quarter of a century was 
the beloved rector of this parish and through whose aid the once 
neglected burial ground was made into a scene of beauty. 

For years this burial plot was neglected and cattle allowed to 
graze upon the graves, but Rev. Dr. Okeson, after having traveled 
abroad for some time, returned to his parish and gave a series of 
lectures descriptive of his travels in order to raise funds for the 
renovation of these grounds. 

This graveyard has been in use for over two hundred years, 
and it is claimed that a number of the graves con-tain tier upon tier 
of coffins, but there are few gravestones to mark the resting places 
of the dead, for many were destroyed at the time of the Revolution- 
ary War, and others being made of sandstone (which is very perish- 
able) succumbed to the action of the elements. Besides, few people 



T ui e 1 1 e 



could afford tombstones in colonial days, as they were very expensive, 
having to be brought from England, and, further, it was customary 
for wealthy persons of good families to have private vaults on their 
own grounds. 

Therefore, there are but two stones which date back to the 
seventeenth century. These were discovered in an old churchyard 
on the James River, and placed as tablets on the walls of St. Paul's 
Church. 

In addition to the historical interest connected with the 
grounds around this quaint old church, the visitor is also impressed 
with its beauty. It is surrounded by an ivy grown brick wall, and in 
Summer contains many flowering shrubs and ever green magnolia 
trees, whose large white waxen blossoms fill the air with sweet per- 
fume. 

The ground is covered with a carpet of bright yellow butter- 
cups, and a fountain plays in the center, about which the little birds 



Thirteen 



flit to and fro and make love to eacli other in their sweet language 
of song. In the winter the waters of this fountain are often frozen 
into countless crystal forms which show all the colors of the rainbow 
as they glisten in the sunlight. 

But to the true student of history perhaps the most inter- 
esting object within these historical grounds is the trunk of what 
was once a grand old weeping-willow tree. As a sapling this willow 
was brought from the grave of Napoleon on St. Helena and planted 
beneath the end of the church where the cannon ball rests. Here it 
grew into a magnificent tree and stood for many years until 1892 
when its glorious leaf crown was broken off in a fierce storm. But 
Mother Nature has kindly concealed its rent and torn sides with a 
soft rich robe of dark green ivy and thus its trunk now stands as a 
monument of past strength and glory even as the name of the great 
conqueror, whose grave it once adorned. 



Fourteen 



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